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U.S. exports of coal, increased intermodal traffic and the ability to double stack trains along some lines could bode well for the freight railroad industry, writes Joe Deaux. "[There is] a very big sector of traffic that currently moves by truck that could move by intermodal rail," said Daniel Keen, AAR's assistant vice president in policy and economics. "Absolutely no question that railroads ... do see intermodal as a potential growth market."

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Annual rail carload traffic grew 3.9% in 2014 to reach the highest yearly level since 2008. Intermodal shipments also increased 5.2% over the previous year. "2014 was a challenging year for America's freight railroads as they responded to traffic surges and shifts in traffic patterns," John Gray, of the Association of American Railroads, said.

Freight carload traffic in the U.S. increased 7.6% for the week ending May 31 compared with the same period in 2013, according to the Association of American Railroads. Intermodal volume rose 9.1%, boosting total traffic by 8.3%. In addition, "[t]he weekly average of 261,470 intermodal units on U.S. railroads in May 2014 was the third-highest average for any month in history," reported AAR.

Kansas City Southern de México's newly opened Bulkmatic de Mexico on the railroad's network is the seventh of its kind in the country, and it will "further develop business with existing customers and convert new traffic from truck to rail," said KCSM Director David Eaton. "Transload terminals are a vital link between KCS' rail service and shippers who do not have direct access to the track," Eaton said.

BNSF will invest $335 million to upgrade rail infrastructure in Montana and North Dakota. Work to maintain track and expand capacity in Montana will get $115 million, while three new sidings in North Dakota will get part of the $220 million the Class I plans to invest there. "BNSF's capital investments in North Dakota and Montana will help ensure our network is prepared for growing demand for freight rail," said BNSF Chairman and CEO Matt Rose. "Unlike other modes of transportation, U.S. freight railroads use their own private dollars, not tax dollars, to build and maintain their freight rail networks."

Although theft from hotel rooms has not been eliminated, safety has improved substantially in the past decade, and the crime rate is relatively low, according to this article. "[There is] a minuscule amount of hotel crime when you consider that about 3 million people stay in hotels each night, and maybe there are five instances a night," said Joe McInerney, chief executive of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.